Sandra Fluke: Resisting O’Reilly and Limbaugh

Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke has provoked greater expressions of ugliness from the right wing than any other American, for having the temerity to argue that universities’ health care plans should include contraception coverage.

She’s under attack once more after being announced as a Democratic National Convention speaker.

A bit of background: Fluke was refused the right to testify at a House hearing. Rush Limbaugh called her a “slut” and a “whore,” only to apologize — sort of — as advertisers on his radio program started to jump ship.

“I will buy all the women at Georgetown University as much aspirin to put between their knees as they want,” Limbaugh declared.

Fluke has emerged from the trashing as a supporter of President Obama’s reelection — she recently spoke for Obama in Colorado — and will speak this week at the Democratic National Convention.

News of her speech has inspired a new burst of ugliness from Fox News’ mighty mouth Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly summarized his knowledge of women’s health care last spring by asking, “Let me get this straight, Ms. Fluke, and I’m asking this with all due respect: You want me to give my hard earned money so you can have sex.”

This time, O’Reilly chose to make a condom joke.

“I’m just wondering when Sandra Fluke speaks at the Democratic Convention, what they’re going to drop from the ceiling,” said BillO. “I’m just pointing out there’s only one reason this woman is speaking, one and only.”

“This woman” kept her dignity, as Fluke has all year, and deployed that dignity on rival MSNBC.

“I think it’s clearly offensive to see a bunch of guys sitting around laughting about dropping condoms on women,” she said. “Obviously that’s offensive. But I try to just not pay attention to it, look past it, and focus on the policies that I care about and doing what I can for the President.”

And, added Fluke, there’s “more than one reason” she has been invited to speak at the convention. “I’ve taken positions on a number of policies and, I hope that my contribution and all of women’s contributions would be more respected than that.”